A Soulful Celebration of Global Music

The Hyderabad International Jazz Festival, primarily organized by Goethe Zentrum and the United States Consulate General (Hyderabad), got off to a melodic start at the open-air Amphitheatre in Hyderabad Public School with a performance by the George Hull Collective.

The ‘Malstrom’ group from Germany featured saxophonist Florian Walter, Axel Zajac, and drummer Jo Beyer. Together, they brought a unique combination of Jazz, Rock, and Nu-Metal music to the delight of a large, youthful audience present at the venue.

The highlight of the festival was a seasoned performance by the Native Jazz Quartet from the United States. These Native American musicians also had the opportunity to interact with local musicians from Hyderabad at the American Corner in St. Francis College, as part of their cultural exchange to share ideas and understand local traditions.

It was especially captivating to see drummer Ed Littlefield, hailing from the Alaska region, introducing himself in his native ‘Lingit’ language. Littlefield went on to explain the native stories and the meanings behind most of their songs, encouraging the audience to participate in the music with dance steps.

Reuel Lubag, on the piano, delivered swift and soft renditions while recalling how the world-renowned sitarist Pandit Ravi Shankar made a significant impact across the globe through his collaborations with Jazz artists and the Beatles.

New Mexico trumpeter Delbert Anderson has been propagating traditional Navajo ‘spinning songs’ of love, healing, and courtship. By adding touches of jazz and funk, he has successfully brought these cultural treasures into mainstream music. Anderson shared stories about different songs in the Navajo community, including one that is sung upon hearing the ‘first laugh’ of a newborn child. The deep faith of these musicians in their native customs, traditions, and language was truly inspiring.

The closing performance of the festival featured the ‘Cacha Mundinho’ band, led by Portuguese vocalist Joana Almeida, Dutch drummer Sjahin, pianist Aman Mahajan, and Amit Nadig on flute. Joana, notably the first female Fado guitarist of Portugal, mesmerized the audience with traditional Portuguese songs, also known as Fado. This genre, which originated in Portugal in the early 1800s, speaks of life, struggle, and passion.

This mellifluous music brought the 2024 Hyderabad International Jazz Festival to a soul-satisfying conclusion.